


A New Tradition

by DawnsEternalLight



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Bonding, Bruce Wayne is a Good Dad, Dick Grayson is Robin, Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Halloween, Halloween Content War, Scary Movies, celebration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 14:25:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12509440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnsEternalLight/pseuds/DawnsEternalLight
Summary: Bruce hasn't really celebrated Halloween since he was a kid. Now that he has one in the house again he thinks it's time to change that.





	A New Tradition

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Batfam Halloween Content war day 2: Celebration

Bruce knocked on the door to Dick’s bedroom and poked his head in. It was well after noon on Saturday, and even this was getting late for the boy to sleep in. Besides, Bruce had plans for them to spend the day together. Halloween was coming up, and Alfred had suggested that this year they might actually do something. 

“Hey Dicky, you in here?” he asked. 

Dick looked up from where he was sitting on his bed, a book in his lap. From the angle he held it, Bruce couldn’t tell if it was a school book or not. 

“Hey B, what’s up?”

Bruce smiled at him, “I was thinking we could take a trip to a pumpkin patch and pick out some good carving pumpkins today. Alfred’s got all the stuff to get them ready, plus he's promised to make pumpkin pie.” 

Dick frowned and played with some of the pages on his book, “I was kinda planning on reading today.” 

Bruce didn’t frown, but his smile slipped. It wasn’t like Dick to choose reading over something outdoors related, even if he was engrossed in the book. He’d hoped that the two of them would have fun choosing pumpkins, and that Dick might tire himself out a bit running through the patch searching for the perfect one to carve a face into. 

“That’s alright. Maybe when you’ve finished we can go?” Bruce suggested. 

Dick winced and sighed, “I don’t really want to go to the pumpkin patch B. Carving pumpkins isn’t my thing.” 

That was fine, Bruce decided. It didn’t matter that Bruce was sure Dick would love getting messy carving pumpkins, there were plenty of other fall activities they could do. 

“That’s fine, Chum. It’s getting close to Halloween, and Alfred says you haven’t picked a costume yet, what do you think about doing that today?” 

Dick looked away from him and shrugged, “I don’t really want to dress up.” 

Something was wrong with Dick. Bruce was sure of it now. Dick not wanting to dress up was akin to him telling Bruce he didn’t want to patrol ‘just because’. 

“You feeling okay?” 

Dick shrugged again, “I’m alright, just not in the Halloween mood.” 

Bruce stepped into the room and sat down on the bed next to him, “Is that a today thing?” he asked. 

Dick frowned at him, “What do you mean?”

“Alfred says you haven’t really wanted to do anything fall related lately. You told him you had homework when he asked if you wanted to help him bake.” 

Dick pressed his lips together and shrugged again.

Bruce shifted closer to him, understanding, “You had traditions with your parents?”

Dick’s lip started to quiver and Bruce reached out a hand to pull his ward close to him in a side hug. Dick didn’t waste any time burying his face in Bruce’s side, a choked sob opening up the path for tears to pour out.

“I miss ‘em.” His voice came out muffled and thick, and twisted Bruce’s heart. 

He tightened his grip, looping the other arm around Dick’s back to pull him closer. Dick didn’t cry for long, sniffling and pulling back after only a minute. Bruce wouldn't have minded holding him longer, but it seemed like his kid was trying to pull himself together. 

“I’m okay.” He said, running the back of his hand under his nose before knuckling his eyes to try to clear away the tears.

He sniffed again and looked up at Bruce, “All this celebrating reminds me of what we used to do.” 

Bruce brushed a loose tear from his son’s cheek, “How did you guys celebrate in fall?”

Dick shifted, pulling a blanket up and over his knees, “We’d do a fall show. One last hurrah before the whole circus took a break for winter. Everyone dressed up and the whole big top was decorated in cobwebs and spiders.” 

Bruce nodded as Dick continued, “Then when everyone was gone we’d have a big bonfire with lots of food and games.” he grinned, “My favorite part were the ghost stories everyone told at the end of the night.” 

“That sounds wonderful.” Bruce smiled, “Is-” he paused, “Is there any of that you’d want us to do?” 

Dick shook his head, his hair flinging back and forth across his forehead, in a reminder that Bruce should get it cut soon. Long hair was in style, overly long hair was not. 

“It wouldn’t be the same.” He shrugged again, this one less defeated and more confused, “I don’t wanna seem like I’m not happy here, or thankful, but--” 

“I understand.” Bruce cut him off, “Alfred and I haven’t really done a lot of celebrating over the years, I stopped after I lost my parents.”

He didn’t add that they’d only decided to this year because of Dick. That felt like putting responsibility on him Bruce didn’t want to add. He didn’t want Dick to try and force himself to celebrate because he was expected to. He also didn’t want Dick to think it was dishonoring to still do something. 

“Because it was different?” 

Bruce nodded, “Yeah. Still, I don’t think we should just do nothing. It is a holiday.” 

Dick seemed thoughtful at this, “It would be a shame to let it go uncelebrated.” he agreed, “But what if we do something different, that neither of us did as kids?”

He held back a chuckle at Dick’s suggestion that he, a ten year old, was no longer a kid. “Did you have something in mind?” 

The boy crossed his arms and hummed, “Well. I figure you did all the standard stuff as a kid, and I did all the big party stuff. So what if we do something quiet, but also spooky? Except not too spooky because, let’s be honest we do that enough at night.” 

Now Bruce did chuckle. He poked Dick’s side, “Get to the point or I’ll drag you to the pumpkin patch and that’ll be our tradition.” 

“No B, no.” Dick said, voice serious now, “Pumpkins are terrifying, they’re fruit masquerading as vegetables.” he gave a little shudder as he said it, his eyes wide.

“True,” Bruce agreed, “And Sleepy Hollow doesn’t help their reputation either.” 

“That's it!” Dick shouted, hopping up to stand on the bed and shaking the whole thing in the process. 

Bruce grabbed the edge of the bed to keep himself from slipping, “What’s it? And sit down before you fall.” 

Dick grinned down at him, “I’ll be fine old man. Anyway, I’ve got the perfect idea.” 

“Please don’t tell me it includes scaring Gothamites with pumpkins, if there’s not already a themed villain for that there will be by the end of your crusade.” 

Dick gave him a playful scowl, “Nope,” he plopped back down onto the bed so he could look Bruce in the eyes, “We’re gonna have a scary movie marathon. Nothing’s off limits.”

“Some things are off limits.” Bruce said, and Dick rolled his eyes, “But it’s not a bad idea.” 

“Okay old man. What about old movies?” Bruce nodded, “And crappy B horror films?” Bruce nodded again, “And that new one that just came out? My friend Becky says some guy cuts his own leg off in it and that there’s so much blood she puked.” 

“That’ll be one of those limits.” Bruce said.

Dick sighed, “Yeah, I guess you're right. You’d probably get too freaked out by it anyway.” He let himself fall back against his headboard, “This is gonna be amazing.”    
He sat back up just as fast, “You think Al would want to watch too? We should ask him, that way he doesn’t get bored.” 

“I think Alfred would love to join us.” 

Dick leaned into Bruce's side, giving him a quick hug, “Thanks B.” The words were hardly out of his mouth before Dick was up and off the bed, hurrying towards the door.

“Dick, wait. Where are you going?” Bruce asked, turning towards him.

“To tell Alf about our change of plans of course. He needs to prepare himself for tonight.” Dick said, with a grin. Then he was out the door, Bruce smiling after him. 


End file.
